"One of the most effective films on a religious theme I have ever seen," declared the late Roger Ebert. Unlike any biblical movie yet made, Pasolini's 1964 religious epic was free of false piety and sentimentality, portraying Christ (Enrique Irazoqui) as part folk hero and part political agitator. Pasolini's use of handheld cameras, zoom sequences, and jump-cut editing was also ahead of its time, as was his decision to cast most of the film with peasants from southern Italy. The film won the Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival, and when it was finally released in the U.S., three years later, it snagged three Academy Award nominations. This version is dubbed in English and can be viewed in color or the original black and white.